Despite the gruelling training regime with dance partner Giovanni Pernice leaving the 59-year-old with 'exhaustion', she told OK! that it has all been worth it.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

'This week, I'm not quite as bad,' she said. 'A lot of the exhaustion is all the hours that you're training and I really wasn't sleeping very well. But I seem to have turned a corner.'

She added: 'I'm still drained because we've been going since August and I haven't had a day off as I have a radio show on Sundays, so I can expect to be a little tired but It's a happy tiredness.

'I can drive myself through it because I look forward to training with Giovanni every single day.'

Chatting about how Strictly has helped her cope with her grief following Paul's death, Debbie continued: '[Being on] has really brought my sparkle back... Giovanni has been the best partner I could ever ask for.

'Since Paul died, I've really had to fight in the mornings [to feel happy]. It's getting up and having another day without him. When you go through grief, you have days that really are black days because you just miss them so much.

'But with Strictly I've got up happy every morning and looked forward to going to rehearsals.'